In the early 1990s, Ina May began to research maternal death rates in the U.S. She was concerned that with escalating hospital birth interventions, such as induced labors and planned C-sections, the rates of maternal deaths would rise dramatically despite the profound medical advances enjoyed by people in the United States. Her research shows that 41 countries have lower maternal death rates than the U.S.

It is well known that the maternal death rate in any given population is a very good indicator of the overall health status of that population. Same with infant mortality. Thus, it was especially shocking when Ina May found that the maternal death rate has actually doubled in the last 25 years. It was 7.5 per 100,000 live births in 1982. In 1999, that rate had risen to 13.2 deaths per 100,000 births. By 2005, it was up to 15.1 per 100,000 live births! In some New York City hospitals, it’s higher still. Moreover, Hispanic and Black women continue to have much higher maternal death rates—perhaps four times as high or higher.

sorry, did you get that?

if you are a hispanic or black woman you are 4 times more likely to die during childbirth than your white counterparts. 4 times.

and we really don’t have a plan to fix this issue. we’ve been sitting on it since 1982. here are the fact from ina may’s website:

At least 30 other countries have lower maternal death rates than the U.S.

There has been no reduction in the maternal death rate in the U.S. since 1982.

The CDC acknowledges that we have a massive problem of underreporting of maternal deaths in the U.S. and that our reported rate may be only 1/3 to 1/2 of the actual total number.

Maternal death rates are four times as high in the African-American community as in the Caucasian community.

There is no federal requirement that the states carry out a confidential review of all maternal deaths in order to be sure that all are counted, to analyze the principle causes of preventable deaths and to make policy recommendations to prevent such deaths in the future. In most countries with lower maternal death rates than ours, maternal deaths are systematically reviewed and there are lower levels of underreporting of such deaths than the CDC says we have in the U.S.

thoughts?

i am keeping those images close: the stillborn babe. the left behind new father.

how do we work on ourselves while also addressing the needs of the world beyond?